Entrance and exit control and signal mechanism for street-cars



F. STEFFENS.

ENTRANCE AND EXTT CONTROL AND SIGNAL MECHANISM FOR STREET CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29.1917- 1 06,786. Patented June 17, 1919.

FRED STEFFENS, OIE ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

ENTRANCE AND EXIT CONTROL AND SIGNAL MECHANISM FOR STREET-CARS? Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1919.

Application filed October 29, 1917. Serial No. 199,602.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED S'rnrrnus, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Entrance and Exit Controls and Signal Mechanism for Street- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to street cars and more especially to controlling gates and signals for one-man cars, and the object is to provide means under control of the motorman for facilitating the orderlyand rapid egress and ingress of passengers and preventing entering passengers from obtaining access to the body of the car without giving the motorman an opportunity to see that the fare is paid preliminary to entrance to the body of the car.

A further object is to provide means for automatically signaling passengers ready to enter the car, that the way is clear for entrance.

WVith these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that the invention may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1, is a horiozntal section of the front end of a car equipped with mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is an enlarged vertical section through the floor of the car to show below the latter a signal mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 3, is a detailed plan View of the signaling mechanism.

Fig. 4, is an elevation of the controlling gate of the apparatus.

together at 8, so that when the door is opened lines 9, Fig. 1.-

Any suitable gate 10, such as the V shaped rod indicated by Fig. 5, is secured to the image post to swing therewith, and said gate is adapted to stand obliquely rearward and outward in alinement with a hand-post 11, or

obliquely forward and outward in alinement with a hand-post 12, said posts being located respectively near the rear and front sides of the door opening 6. When the gate occupies the position shown by full lines Fig. 1, and the door 7, is open, passengers are free to enter the car and the passageway 4. When the gate occupies the position shown by dotted lines, ingress to the car is prevented but passengers are free to pass out from the passenger compartment between the gate and the hand-post 11. The car will preferably be provided, as customary, with a step (not shown) at the lower end of the door opening.

To control the passage 4, I preferably employ the turnstile 13, of any suitable or preferred type, the same being operated by a handle 14, within convenient reach of the motorman when standing or when seated upon a revolving stool 15. Between the motorman and the gate is a shelf or support 16, which serves as a convenient support for a fare-box 17 or any other accessory. It also constitutes an obstruction to guard against pasengers being crowded into the motormans stand or compartment) In the said drawing, 1 indicates the front portion of a street car, and sald car 1s partitioned to provide a passenger compartment or body 2, a motormans stand 3, and a passage 4, leading from what may be termed the vestibule to the passenger compartment 2, and located at one side of the motormans stand 3.

A hinge post 5, is mounted in the floor of the car in any suitable manner, inward and opposite the center of the opening 6, controlled by the door 7 Said door may be of any suitable type, but preferably 1s of that class which consists of two members hinged A vertical shaft 18, is suitably journaled and provided with an operating handle 19, within convenient reach of the motorman, and below the floor with a crank 20, pivotally connected by a link rod 21, to a crank 22, secured upon the lower end of the hinge post 5, of the gate, so that movement of said handle 19, shall effect swinging movement of the gate from its full line to its dotted line position and back again.

For the purpose of signaling persons de siring to board the car, that the way is open for their entrance, the crank 22, is provided with a pivoted extension 23, the extension having an arm 24, to abut against the crank 22, when pressed in one direction so that it shall constitute for all intents and purposes a rigid part of said lever, and said extension is adapted to yield when pressed in the 0p said door opening,

posite direction, the arm 24, being connected by a retractile spring 25, -witha lug 26,,projecfl'lll ig laterally from the crank 22.

Arranged within the swing of the extension crank 22, so as to be operated thereby when the gate swings from the dotted line position to the full line position, is a resilient bell clapper 27 for striking a gong 28,

secured and depending from the floor of the car. The clapper is pivoted at 29 at 'the under side of a plate 30, secured to a block 31, attached to the floor, and a retractile spring 32, connects the clapperwith a fixed point of said plate 30, for the purpose of actuating 'itto strike the gong. By reference to Fig.

3 it will be seen that when the crank 22, swings in the direct on lnCllCitilGClbYtliG adacent arrow, 1t W111 engage and operate the jbe'll clapper and that as the extension 23, 20.

passes out of engagement with the Clapper,

"thete'nsioned spring 32, will react and swing the clapper forcibly back with such force that it shall strike the gong for signaling purposes, it being noted that the clapper just f before striking the gong comes in contact with the stop pin. 33, so that the clapper shall normally be held out of contact with the gong and, furthermore, shall be caused to spring "back instantly from the gong after striking it,ito avoid deadening the signal.

As the operation of the various parts has been referred to in connection with the de scription of the construction thereof, no recapitulation is=believed to be necessary, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred construction of the invention, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, proportion, detailed construction and arrangement of the parts as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims:

'1. A street car provided with an entering passage, a passenger compartment, and a door opening; a turnstile controlling communication between the entering passage and said passenger compartment, a gate pivoted within the car between the turnstlle and and means to swing the end is adjacent one side of said door opening orto a position where its free end is adjacent theother side of said door opening, and a turnstile at the opposite side of the gate from said door, for controlling communication between the said entering passage and said passenger compartment.

3. A street car having a door opening at one side of its front end, a swinging gate for adjustmentto stand in such relation to the opening that passengers" may enter or,

leave the car through said opening' 'butnever at the same time, and means dividing the space between the gate andthe closed side of the car at the front end ther'eof to provide a passagewayleadingto-the interior of'the car and an isolated chamber or stand at the closed side of the car, for the motorman.

4. A street car having a door opening at one side of its frontend, a swinging gate for adjustment to stand in such relation to the opening thatpassengers may enter or leave the car through said opening but never at the same 'time, m'eans dividingthe space be tween the gate and the closedside of the carat the front endthereof to provide'a passageway leading to the interior of the car and an isolated chamber or stand at the closed side of the car, for the'motorman, and a turnstile dlsposed'between said dividing means and the gate ,for'preventing egress i from the interior'of, the car through said passage.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature at St. Joseph, county of Buchanan, State of Missouri, this 22d day of'Qctober, 1917.

FRED STEFFE'NS.

Gofiies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing .the fiommissioner of Patents,

Washington,'1). G. 

